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Christine Lloyd-Newberry

Master of Public Administration

, Class of 2013

Participating in classes with students from all over the world and engaging with professors all of whom have extensive experience in their area of expertise made my learning so much more far-reaching than it might otherwise have been.

Christine Lloyd-Newberry, Class of 2013

Master of Public Administration

Q: “Christine, tell us about your life – where you live, your family, and interests.”A: “I live in Vermont with my husband of 17 years and our almost 10-year-old son. When I’m not spending time with friends and family, I enjoy singing with the local choral society, serving on the board of a couple of community organizations, and being a crafter (everything from needlepoint to glass-on-glass mosaic work.)”

Q: “What is your current employer and describe briefly your professional life.”A: “I am currently the director of Connecting Youth, a youth substance use prevention and health promotion coalition that provides services to the Chittenden South Supervisory Union and works with the associated towns to create an environment that supports youth in making safe and healthy choices.”

Q: “What was your motivation for pursuing your degree?”A: “I sought an MPA because I wanted to expand my skill set to better meet the challenges I was presented with on a daily basis.”

Q: “Why did you choose Norwich and how did you learn about it?”A: “I looked long and hard at schools before I chose Norwich. When considering what I wanted to get from my education, I came to the conclusion that an online program was going to best meet my needs. As ready as I was to return to school, I was looking to minimize the impact on my family and job as much as possible. While there are lots of online programs to choose from, Norwich is a brick and mortar school, and close to home with a solid reputation. That meant a lot to me.”

Q: “What makes Norwich unique?”A: “My Norwich education was enriched by the depth and breadth of the staff and students. Participating in classes with students from all over the world and engaging with professors all of whom have extensive experience in their area of expertise made my learning so much more far-reaching than it might otherwise have been.”

Q: “Please describe any memorable experiences with faculty members or members of your cohort.”A: “I was continuously amazed by the relationships and trust that developed with my classmates and professors. When residency week arrived, we greeted each other like old friends. Those online experiences and conversations translated to face-to-face interactions without missing a beat.”

Q: “Have you been able to put your knowledge to work at your job?”A: "My current position made it easy to apply much of my classroom learning to my job activities. I chose to focus on succession planning and knowledge transfer in small non-profit organizations for my capstone project. This was a professional area of interest for me that could have immediate implications for the organization I work for. It has provided a roadmap for ways to strengthen the organization in some very important ways, including organizational communication, culture and evaluation, as well as professional development. Using my capstone in this way allowed me the time and space to learn new information that I needed and which I may not have been able to commit work time to.”

Q: “What aspects of your Norwich experience will you carry most strongly with you?”A: “This has been an intense program. The sense of accomplishment of having made it through and not only that, but having done well is enormous. It has also sparked a desire in me to continue learning and growing as a leader and has provided an extensive network of other professionals around the world to utilize and engage with as well."

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